Atiku alleges plot to stop ADC from participating in 2027 election, raises alarm over democracy

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that there is a fresh plot by elements within the ruling establishment to prevent the party from participating in the 2027 general election.

Mr Atiku, in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, claimed he had received credible intelligence suggesting that political and legal measures were being coordinated to keep the ADC off the ballot ahead of the presidential election.

According to him, the alleged move is part of a broader campaign by anti-democratic forces within the ruling party to weaken the opposition and deny Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose their next president.

“We are fully aware of their plots. While they seek to sow confusion within the opposition, we know their real target is the ADC because it represents the most credible alternative,” Atiku said.

He called on Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliation, to resist what he described as attempts by the ruling party to determine which opposition parties should be allowed to participate in the next general election.

“Our message to the APC and the hooded men plotting in dark chambers is simple: you may conspire, but you will not succeed. If the APC is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?” he queried.

While expressing hope that the information available to him would not materialise, Atiku said recent political developments had made it difficult to ignore the warning signs.

He alleged that a familiar pattern was emerging in which institutions expected to remain neutral were being drawn into partisan political contests through litigation, administrative actions and political pressure.

“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to be neutral are drawn into partisan contests. Then, frivolous litigations suddenly gain unusual momentum. Administrative powers are selectively deployed. Political pressure is mounted behind closed doors. Before long, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” he said.

The former vice president also accused the government of focusing more on weakening the opposition than addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.

According to him, the administration has become preoccupied with political survival while Nigerians continue to grapple with hunger, inflation, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.

He argued that the growing popularity of the ADC across the country should be met with political competition rather than what he described as intimidation and institutional sabotage.

“The proper response to a popular political movement is not suppression. It is to present superior ideas before the electorate. Democracies are won at the ballot box, not in back rooms, not through manipulated court processes, and certainly not through the abuse of state institutions,” he stated.

Atiku warned that any attempt to exclude the ADC from the electoral process would amount to one of the most serious attacks on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy since the country’s return to civil rule in 1999.

He insisted that no government has the constitutional authority to determine which political parties Nigerians are allowed to vote for, stressing that sovereignty belongs to the people.

“The ballot is sacred, and every attempt to tamper with it is an attack on the Republic itself,” he said.

The former vice president also called on the judiciary to remain impartial and resist external pressure, urging judicial officers to uphold the Constitution and protect the integrity of the democratic process.

He further appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations, the international community and other stakeholders to remain vigilant against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the 2027 elections.

“We are placing Nigerians on notice because democracy flourishes only when citizens refuse to be indifferent. Eternal vigilance remains the price of liberty. Every Nigerian who believes in constitutional rule must pay close attention to unfolding events,” he said.

Atiku maintained that no amount of intimidation, judicial manipulation or political engineering would weaken the resolve of Nigerians who have embraced the ADC.

“The desire for change cannot be outlawed. Hope cannot be deregistered. Democracy cannot be subverted by administrative fiat. The will of the Nigerian people will prevail over every conspiracy, and history will ultimately judge those who seek to place personal ambition above the survival of our democracy,” he added.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not responded to Atiku’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.